"Flowers Before Food"

It’s Christmas time, so Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly (LBFE) takes over the kitchen at Northeastern University to cook a ton of turkey.  Close to 400 meals were prepared on Christmas Eve, and distributed today, Christmas, to elderly individuals in the metro Boston area.  LBFE finds elders, seniors, and shut ins who don’t have any family in the area for the holidays and coordinates this impressive operation of making meals for all of them, and finding volunteers to deliver all these meals and spend time in fellowship with these lonely people on Thanksgiving, Christmas, Passover, and other holidays.  Check them out: (http://boston.littlebrothers.org/index.html )

Being my first year away from home at Thanksgiving and Christmas the opportunity jumped out at me.  I remember crying a little reading about it for Thanksgiving because I would be kind of lonely 630 miles from home, and that would be beautifully perfect to be lonely with someone else who was lonely on Thanksgiving.  I was all set to go and then Gus died (see previous post), so I came home for Thanksgiving to get through all that with some friends, but Today I did it for Christmas and it was just that.  Beautifully perfect.

I wondered around Northeastern University this morning trying to find the dining hall in the cold air.  When I saw several people coming out of a door in fancy clothes carrying paper gift bags with flowers sticking out I thought that’s the place. 

I went inside for orientation as a new volunteer and got these words of inspiration and encouragement from David.  “The world needs more of what you guys are doing here today.”  He told us how he delivered a meal on Christmas when he was in his 20s and made a friend in 83 year old Maria Crawford who he kept in touch with until she died at 103 just six years ago!  He explained how volunteering works for both people, our lives would be changed today he said, and and so will the elder we’d meet. 

Their motto is “Flowers before food” indicating that the beauty, and the companionship should come before the food.  That’s beautiful, and that is key in food justice, building relationships that are more than just food, even though it may be structured around a meal.

I went straight to the volunteer table where they give you the next elder on the list based on what part of the city we wanted to visit.  I chose downtown near the Boston Common since I could get there by train easily and they gave me a paper with Ray ____.  I went through the line, got his respective gift, flowers, and the meal, and then was on my way back on the train.

I found his apartment after several turns down the wrong side street.  He let me in and was excited from the minute I got off the elevator on his floor.  He showed me all the doctor’s business cards in his wallet, his scars from all his bladder and hernia surgeries, and then around his apartment.  I thought to myself, “I hope I become as spunky in my old daffiness as this guy, he’s pretty cool.”  We put the flowers in a vase.  He then told me the organ music playing was his wife Josephine who passed away in 2009.  He said he always sang to her playing the piano and organ and then he just belt it out right there in front of me.  “You’ll never know how much I love you…” that old frank Sinatra song he sang to her at their wedding: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4ZD_sQmCEs) even though this online recording doesn’t catch all of Ray’s passion.  He sang that song with his wife.  He still misses his wife. She died of Alzheimer’s in 2009.  It was hard on him.  It still is.  His voice was so powerful, deep, true, something I never felt listening to Frank Sinatra, even though I never much cared for Sinatra.  But that passion got deep in me and I felt his loss, with Gus so close in mind.

He said he wanted to sing one or two Christmas songs with me, I said I LOVE CHRISTMAS CAROLS! So we sang everyone in the book, and all those in the next book, and a few from the third book, and then a few more from the first book again.  It was great.  He was off beat sometimes and I was out of tune most of the time so we sounded bad most of the time, but on a few notes we’d hit it right, and look at each other and just connect with that harmony.  The neighbors must have all been out for the holidays or the sound proofing was good because no one complained.

After the Christmas songs we sang some Elvis, then he sang some on his own I’ve never heard.  His voice was beautiful, low, deep.  If you heard it break silence, it would probably scare you, it scared me at first, but it was from his heart, and that made it less scary.  They were all songs he’d sing with his wife as she played.  She was gifted.  She was musical. She was beautiful.  He showed me pictures. 

He let me lead the singing of Willie Nelson’s “Crazy.”  I didn’t tear up until we sang “Old Rugged Cross,” and “I go to the Garden Alone,” he held my hand when we sang those.  I’m tearing up now writing this.  I’m such an old man.

He had all these love songs he wanted to sing.  He sings them to some of his friends he’s met over the phone.  He still misses his wife.  He said that a lot.  We talked a about his wife, I talked a little about Gus, but we sang most of the time. That said enough.

I was depressingly cynical when I signed up. I wanted to share my loneliness with someone else while I was lonely on the holidays.  (I’m really not all that alone in real life, way too many people care about me), but today I was one of two lonely old men singing love songs and Christmas songs because those we’d love to sing them with are somewhere else.  And It felt good, and didn’t feel lonely.  It felt like I connected with something much bigger than anything either of us we’re missing.

This is Boston on Christmas.  It is special. It is true.  Glory in the Highest!

Adventures with Gus

In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness but the darkness could not overcome it. John 1:4-5

 My appologies for not keeping up with this blog so much.  A lot has happened here and at home and I'll get around to telling the stories shortly.  This past weekend we took a retreat to the woods to the Agapae Community, in the woods of Ware, Massachusetts.  I wondered around the woods alot, made some pine needle and wintergreen tea, and saw some garlic mustard, striped wintergreen, eastern hemlock, and all kinds of plants.  We played music and sang songs.  All of the plants and stringed instruments reminded me of my friend Gus who I haven't seen or heard from since August, and will never see or hear from again except in  my memories. 

Nearly a month ago, I experienced arguably the worst week of my life when I heard about Gus' violent end and tragic death. I've been trying to understand, cope, and process what happens next. Please humor me as I tell the long but not long enough story of a friend who made me much of who I am today.  May these words remind those who knew him of some happier times when he was showing us what "life" meant.  And many who he touched have much more to say about him on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/CelebratingGusDeeds

He didn't go out quiet either, he made a statement.  He always did. weither he bleaching his name on his staff shirt, playing the banjo or harmonica, or whatever, you'd know he was around when he'd leave some mark for the better on you when you'd cross his path.  His suicide after being turned away from the mental health facilities has the state legislature considering much needed mental health reform with this petition: http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/stand-with-creigh-deeds-1.fb57?source=s.fb&r_by=9655060  Please sign it if you are from Virginia!

Known to select groups as Sug, Ragnoroth, Lord Gusticles, Gustopher, Gus Gus, and master sense of the squeegee, among other various names, this kid was the most remarkable individual I ever had the pleasure of knowing. He helped shape me into who I am today.  Some of the best adventures I've ever been on, were  some of his adventures that he took me on.  Please excuse my wordy memories, each of them is a gift and an inspiration to shine some light in the dark parts of the world.

I met Gus in confirmation class when I was in middle school. Soon after, when my family moved into the Bath County school system Gus took myself and my brother Joe under his wing as the new kids in town. He warned us about Mrs. Rooklyn, and which kids were friends, and who to avoid. He entertained us with his guess the shape and color mind games, dream interpretation, his own created language similar to Welsh, and the ever famous "Water on the Bus" band until the rubber band chronicles broke out and divided the bus between the front and the back.  I have only great memories with this wild, independent, highly intellectual kid.  His admirable stubborness led him to grow his hair longer than anyone else wanted him to, and to wear shorts every day for one year even in the Appalachian winters. He had a unique ability to feel or see things about you ( or maybe he just made it up) Everything was always deep with Gus. I didn't know anyone he couldn't get along with, or talk to--except maybe President Bush.

Gus along with friends Tony and Jim christened my brother Joe, friend Michael, and myself into the age old Bath County tradition of catching snipe in grocery bags. A wonderful night in the dark. I'll take you sometime.  There’s good snipe habitat on the Walter’s farm. The lot of us were like Everett, Delmar, and Pete just full of nonsense--O Brother. Wrestling matches, Dr. Thunder cans in the campfire, shooting the rifle, listening to Gus play his harmonica while Michael sang the blues. Listening to Gus play his harmonica in the opening act for bluegrass ledgend Dr. Ralph Stanley. Gus would play any instrument with incredible ease, trombone, banjo, anything with strings, even instruments he’d build himself.  The countless encounters we shared were nothing but excitement and wonder to me throughout high school, soccer, and summers. Gus' love of music, the history, the mountains, his family, language, horses, the woods, the South, theology, people, just fascinated me. Many times I'd just listen about his political ideals, philosophy, and all the thought provoking insights he'd share. Always fun. He always inspired me to follow my heart no matter how crazy I'd look doing it, and honestly I wouldn't ever get as crazy as he would no matter how hard I tried. Believe me, I've tried.

 

I don't know if his parents ever knew of the time he made wine in his closet, or the actual covert operation of him eloping to marry the Spanish teacher's daughter and move to Columbia with her. No joke they planned that out with a designated witness and a story to cover it up. Disclaimer: Those two I wasn't involved in.

Gus helped us win the Beta Club Quiz Bowl state tournament and I got to tag along to the nationals in Nashville as the water boy/alternate. So many others on that Quiz bowl team, and in his classes were gifted seeing Gus' mind full of knowledge. His head was full of stuff. What a mind! He knew so much about everything. He held the high school record for 600's (perfect scores) on Virginia SOL tests, and countless other class awards. He was the Valedictorian of the class of 2007 and his speech was about chasing your dreams and following your heart after high school. "If you enjoy shoveling horse manure," he said, "you shovel that horse manure until your heart's content." He encouraged us not to feel obligated to get any job people expected us to get, but to do what we feel called to. I know there was more to it than horse manure, but that's all I can remember.

 

Gus and his sister accompanied my family and I in a church mission trip to Baja Mexico where his Spanish, love of soccer, and enthusiasm with kids touched so many lives there.

 

 

 

After high school, things changed. He had some heartbreak, some ups and downs with relationships and the new exposures that come with freshman year. Who didn't try the alcohol or other things in college? I don't know everything that happened to him. I can only assume as another good ole Bath County boy experiencing the eye-opening world of college It shook up his world emotionally.  College did that for me.  Among other things I knew seeing the truth about some corruption in politicians from his idealized view of politics with some people he met during his father's campaign for governor, and the emotional toll of the divorce, left him without as much purpose. I saw him in some of his sad times.

He and I reconnected one summer day bailing hay after his freshman year, for the hardest day of work in my life, and then later on for my own campus ministry retreat to Montreat College Conference.He found a welcome place with my misfit friends from my wacky college years.

Following this retreat he got tired of sitting around the house and just up and left in his car with a jar of peanut butter, a spoon, a bible, Walden Pond, his harmonica and banjo, and about $800. This is another tale where I don't have all the details but he found Jesus at the Pacific Ocean, and met a preacher out there who helped guide him in his newly found faith. When he got back faith was much more real to him. It was kind of weird to me, but it gave him a new purpose I think for a while. He became centered around showing love to other people. I don't know if showing love to himself was any part of that--but that's most important in showing love.

Gus made such a mark on my friends Marcus and Tessa that he was a groomsman in their wedding with Joe and I, and the best man Jonathan.  Gus and I walked Kathleen, now one of my fellow YAV’s down the aisle.

 

That summer I applied to be on staff at Nature Camp (an academic camp about the natural world) to teach renewable energy, as a way to show off my college “wisdom”.  Gus went to this camp as a kid and was on staff in 2009, and encouraged me to apply several times. I didn't know Gus also applied that summer to teach Appalachian studies or wilderness survival. The camp director Flip in his amazing wisdom paired up the two of us to teach Botany. My mom asked him if he knew what he was getting into putting us together with our old snipe hunting buddy Tony as head male.

Camp brought back the happy crazy Gus from high school—but the sad Gus would come back occasionally. He always talked about camp and how big it was for him as a child, and I think that atmosphere and memory pulled him out of whatever depression and slump he'd been in. He called me up before camp even started and spent about an hour explaining his idea for the botany class. If I could only tell one Gus story it would be about us being teaching partners at Nature Camp—"The closest bond any two people could ever hold," he said.  He went on and on that Botany could be like a RPG video game (role playing game) like mind craft, pokemon, or another video game where you enter a world as your own character, collect items and complete tasks to level up, and unlock new skills to continue on.  The kids will get to choose their character type which gives them certain gifts or abilities, so some will know medicinal plants, some will know edible plants, some cultivating plants, some the cellular biology of plants, and they would get a plant hero name and perform quests to gain experience points to level up and unlock new abilities. To make a long story short, I edited his idea enough to comfortably run it by Flip, create a few of my own "quests" for the kids with my limited knowledge of plant biology behind it, and we called it "the World of Plantcraft" The kids ate up that nonsense. Gus (Plantcrafter name: Ragnoroth) taught the kids making rope and building shelters from vines and wood, and I (Alexander the Magnificent) would draw cellular pictures of how plant cells in wood are different than in leaves. Gus would show them and have them identify and taste edible leaves, and I'd explain photosynthesis on the white board. He was the level 38 Bard, and I was a level 36 Monk. He made up a written language for the kids to use to crack the code and get past level 7.  We focused heavily on edible and medicinal plants, and I really got into that. Honestly Gus' imagination got me into studying botany and farming and started me on the path that led me here to Food Justice Missions in Boston.

Some credit goes to you Master Ragnoroth.  You made me into the plantcrafter I am, and I will defend, honor and teach the ways of the World of Plantcraft.  I wish Gus would have seen the plantcrafting going on here in Boston and even up in Maine where they taught me to make acorn flour, something he and I never had the patience for.  So I'm going to eat my acorns without you Ragnoroth, not cool.

 

That fall he went back to William and Mary and was signed up for music composition. He was writing for the symphony and completed an ode to Dale Earnhardt! He was back to his old self when I saw him at Christmas.

From my inspiration as Ragnoroth's companion plantcrafter, that next year at college I took college botany (Human Uses of Plants) and a farm internship class (which I liked to call Plantcrafting 101 and 102), and returned to camp this past summer to teach a botany class, but without Gus, with a practicing horticulturalist Kate, and we focused more on and cultivated plants and food. Unfortunately for the kids, I couldn't carry the creativity for the world of plantcraft without Gus and Kate was scared to mess it up so we put that on hold. Gus taught ornithology this summer. He didn't know as much about birds as he did plantcraft, but he studied his butt off to learn what he didn't know and he did a great job as a teacher and as a role model to the kids. While most of us would tell silly little lies to the kids for their enjoyment or camp magic, Gus was all about honesty. I can't tell you how many times he called out another one of us for faking enthusiasm with the kids. "Kids can tell when your faking," he'd say, "then they won't trust you" He taught the kids ways to respect each other, and was all about showing love, respect, and honesty to one another. Even as the head male this summer, his 'supervisor,' I'd seek him out for advice on how to handle homesick kids, or even some disciplinary problems. He understood the kids in a way I couldn't, and I had a lot to learn from him. Countless times his seemingly crazy punishments brought the kids closer in a loving way.  Gus received the director's choice staff award for his excellent job this past summer. At least 320 kids and 25ish staff were lucky to have Gus in their lives this summer for his example. 

Toward the end of camp this year I felt disconnected with Gus because we weren't as close as when we’d been teaching partners. He was down a lot more of the time than he was up in his relations with the other staff. We all loved him and enjoyed being around him, but there was some disconnect. Granted all of us on staff can be disconnected at times, we're all a little weird.  That's why we get hired at Nature Camp. I interviewed Gus about the summer in August, and he got real deep about a lot of that bad stuff. He just wanted people to show love, but in his eyes there was a lot of evil, and selfishness going on. He hated that and took it personal.  He couldn't feel a lot of love from others. I encouraged him to come back to camp next year. The kids needed him there, and he needed those kids. They were his source of love. He said camp gave him a world of good during his tough childhood, and he just wanted to give that excitement and love he received from camp back to the kids, because we don't know what their life is like at home. Again, I didn't feel it my place to ask, but at least in high school I thought his home life was fine.

When I came up here to Boston, chasing my interest in Ragnoroth's Plantcrafting, I heard he dropped out of college again and was at home. I tried to contact him several times but no response. I figured he was fine, or maybe he was in his dark place that he thought I wasn't sincere in my words, and I was hiding something--maybe I wasn't sincere. Then that Tuesday I heard he shot himself, and Gus is dead.

It's a lot to process. It will be a while before I really understand it. 

There was a lot of pain in his head, he hid it well.  I didn't see all of it,  some unfortunately saw more than I did, some people were lucky enough not to see any of it, and that’s how I’m going to remember him, the times when he wasn’t in pain. I knew he was fighting something. maybe a demon, maybe depression, maybe a more severe illness like bipolar disorder. It's just sad.  Everything was deep with Gus, both the Joy and the pain, but especially the love.  He felt things in a different way.  A deep way. A way I aspired to feel things.   

Gus was too much of a bluegrass musician, he carried alot of pain inside but it inspired some damn good music. But a lot of his music came from joy, especially the dancing. He found a lot of relief in the music, and being around friends. But something toward the end turned him away from friends, and even some family members.

One friend from camp, Katie, reminded me that he gave her assurance on a bad day saying,

"I don't believe in bad days because "bad days" only happen when you can't feel the love that is all around you. Once you realize that the love is always there, it's not possible to have a bad day again."

I regret that we couldn't show Gus love in a way he understood these last months, so many of us tried and I'm angry that whatever was going on in his amazing mind kept him from seeing that love and giving him bad days. 

Those words from John's gospel at the beginning remind me of Gus. "In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness could not overcome it."

Darkness did not win with Gus. After being illuminated by his life, his mind, and his creativity, I can’t help but bring more light to the dark parts of this world.  Just the memories with him inspire me to brighten up the world! 

But guess what, John didn’t write that about Gus, he was writing about Jesus Christ, who already has victory over death with the resurrection.  Darkness did not overcome Gus.  It took him away from this world, and away from us, but not away from God “Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present not the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord,” I am assured that Gus is held tightly in the arms of God. (Romans 8:38).  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness could not overcome it. 

Unfortunately for all of us Gus isn’t lighting up the world any more, now he leaves that work for us, but he’s not fighting his pain any more either.  He is in the peaceful rest in the Kingdom of Heaven surrounded by God’s love all around.  Never to have a bad day again.  And we are left with a hole in our lives without this great friend, and I'm reminded recently of this loss with the sound of bluegrass music, the sight of medicinal plants, and many things he taught me to hold dear.  But once we “realize that the love is always there, it’s not possible to have a bad day again.”  That hole will be filled with the love of those around us, and we will fill other's emptiness. 

Thank you to the many friends, new and old, family, and others who have helped starting to fill this hole in me with love, support, memories, prayers, cards, laughter, non-local food, and a trip home.

Show love to those around you.  And make sure you feel the love people are showing you.  Don't let people's love to you go unfelt.  That hurts them. A lot.  Love yourself.

Gus, you gave off a certian light that made us see things differently.  see them better.  To the world you spoke the gospel.  You lived it.  You struggled with living it as a falable human, just like the rest of us.  And you rest in it now.  Rest easy Gus. We love you!

 

 

 

 

In addition to helping with the CSA at the church in Burlington, I’ve been working with the Boston Faith and Justice Network (BFJN) as their "Food Justice and Simple Living Skills Coordinator" (what a mouthful).  Two days a week I shadow and assist the Executive Director, Ryan, or on occasion I get to hang out with other people involved with BFJN on their various food-related works.  In addition to helping plan events, editing grant proposals, and doing the clerical tasks of running a non-profit, I’ve been learning and exploring the concept of economic discipleship which is the central message of BFJN.  BFJN is “a community of Christians practicing simple living for generous giving,” and economic discipleship is “following Jesus with our money.”  Through events and teaching the Lazarus atthe Gate curriculum (--an 8 week bible study) to churches the message is for Christians to recognize the blessing of the wealth we have and be intentional on our spending for ourselves so that we can better help our neighbor through giving and sharing the blessing of wealth. 

So yes, I am working with BFJN to get Christians to sit down in a group and talk about money and how we are spending it.  As my fellow YAV Libby said, “I’m from south Georgia where we don’t talk about money in Church” That’s been partly my experience in Virginia and in a recent meeting about the Lazarus at the Gate curriculum here in Massachusettes, one person said that money is typically as much a taboo in church as sex.  It is a very touchy subject for conversation and we don't take it lighlty in how we present the curriculum.  In fact we are never prescriptive on how people should spend their money and share their wealth, that is between each person, or each family and God.

The fact of the matter is on a global scale, all americans are rich.  Most of the world lives on an income of only $2.00 per day, so even my modest stipend of $400 per month is wealthy.  The Lazarus Curriculum which I will eventually help teach at my host church in Burlington, MA encourages each person to make their own lifestyle and spending changes to free up more of their own wealth to help the many people who have much less.  The lifestyle changes we encourage focus on simple living.

BFJN also teaches through skillshare events, workshops, and online publication.   I’ve been writing on the BFJN Blog on what it means to live simply as a Christian and why it’s important.  I’ve written about some ways to repurpose trash to extend it’s life, and how we can use our gifts as tools for ministry like our vehicles to bring food to our neighbors.  Please take a look and follow us on Tumblr!  Coming from my background of simple living as a personal growing tool, or as a way to help the environment, I've found it very enriching to learn how simple living is a way to live out our faith as Christians.  Finding value in relationships, and simple things, and just being purposeful and intentional in things that have become routine.

Through work with BFJN and the CSA, I get to see people from different tax brackets, and living in Boston, I see people from different ethnic and cultural heritages.  But on a daily basis, I see many more upper-middle class white christian families with this work.  As a missionary I expected I'd be sitting down with the homeless, the lonely, and the poor everyday, but that is not the case. My work is more brain work on working on larger economic issues than just being the typical band-aid charity.  The temporary missions like food pantries, soup kitchens, homeless shelters are extremely important, people need something to fall back on at times, but it treats the symptoms of our economy, not the problems.  We must touch deeper into the systems around us to make these changes happen.  We need to examine our entire food system all the way from production to consumption and waste disposal to understand how to fight hunger.  And we need to understand how each of our own actions contribute to the problems or how they can help solve them.

As my close friend Gus once taught me, people need to listen to Michael Jackson and Ghandi more about changing the world.  "If you want to make the world a better place/ take a look at yourself and make a change." This next year  will be full of opportunities to change myself in order to better the world, and in my job I get to help people make changes to their lives and that just might change the world. 

What in the world am I doing up here?

This week I finshed the first month of work in Boston.  I haven't explained much about the work ahead of me for the next year, but now that I know more about it I'll explain. My job here involves helping the Presbyterian Church in Burlington, MA with their food missions and the Boston Faith and Justice Network in their daily routine.  The church is always collecting food for the local food pantry, and regularly volunteers at a local soup kitchen, but also has a unique food outreach as a pick up site for the Farmer Dave's CSA customers. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculutre, it is the idea that the community members or customers purchase shares of the farm harvest at the beginning of the season, and pick up their weekly share of the food throughout the season as it arrives.  Every Monday, the Farmer Dave's truck delivers food freshly picked that morning already portioned out in boxes for the CSA members.  Farmer Dave's is a large farm that has 19 different locations for people to pick up their CSA shares of which the Church in Burlington is one.  Every Monday I help the Burlington Church member volunteers unload the food and get it ready for the members to pick up.  I am getting to know the members and assisting them with any questions or confusion they have.

It's a pretty well run operation because the farmer is guaranteed to have people take the food, and the customers can pick up fresh produce for the week in one location.  My fellow YAV housemates and I actually purchased a fruit share and a vegetable share for the rest of the summer.  Since we've committed to eat only local food until January, the CSA helps us find local food in one location.  I've also enjoyed learning to cook with these fresh ingredients.  My favorite was making pumpkin bread from a real pumpkin, and not a can of pumpkin.  It just felt good to be able to do that.  I would encourage you readers to look into CSA farms in your area and consider purchasing a membership either this fall, winter, or next year for some of the best produce in your area.  The Church benefits from this CSA as an opportunity to use their space to meet a need of the community.  We church volunteers will be working with the members who pick up food to see how we might expand the selection of groceries available at their pick up.  And to seek out ways to expand the outreach to the community as a church.

This type of work in a church environment will be a very interesting way for me to understand a bridge between a faith community and the local food movement.  If any of you readers have thoughts on how purchasing local food relates to God's mission please post them in the comments section or send me an E-mail, as this is a topic I am exploring for the year.

On a side note about CSA's, I was an intern with the CSA at Nu-Beginning Farm in Greenville, VA in the Shenandoah valley until May 2013.  CSA farming is a relatively new term and concept in the agricultural world, especially in the Shenandoah Valley (my homeland)--a place where those letters used to stand for Confederate States of America and these letters are found on Civil War history memorabilia at the many battlefield museums.  As all things relate to food, I am talking about Virginia, a historically abundant agricultural region also known as the "Breadbasket of the Confederacy" providing over half of the food (especially grains) to the southern soldiers during the Civil War.  And almost all of the civil war battles in that part of Virginia were fought on farmland, pastures and crop fields along the valley.  Much could be said about that war and the C.S.A. forming as a way of farmers deciding for themselves the way they'd grow food and what they'd grow (not how or what the government mandated), but now CSA's like Farmer Dave's and NuBeginning put that power of control over your food closer to you with that relationship.  Get to know your farmers! A CSA is a great way to do that.

When I'm not helping the church with this, the other half of my job is with the Boston Faith and Justice Network (BFJN).  One of my activities with Ryan at BFJN is writing on their blog.  I'll explain more about my work there on a later post on this site, but as a preview until next time, you can read my blog posts on the BFJN tumblr page.

Eating Local Without a Car

Saturday was the first official "day off" for Libby and I since we arrived in Boston.  We had a mental list of places to go to see on days of like chatting with MIT professors about solar cookers, or hanging out with some witches in Salem, having some tea at the harbor, or maybe just taking more pictures at Walden Pond to send to our English Major/ Nature Writing friends.  That was my list at least.  Instead, Libby and I took some time to try and stock up on some local food for the winter, since we've been challenged to eat only local food until the end of January, and then live off of SNAP benefits for the following six months.

With the end of September approaching and hints of cold winter nights visiting outside our windows, we began to fear the days far ahead in January when we will miss the abundance of local tomatoes, raspberries, blueberries and peaches of the New England fall harvest.  So after several hours of internet research Libby and I made a plan to visit two farms to check out their farm stands and pick-your-own selections to bring back lots of fruit for making jam, canning, and freezing for the winter.  We had it all planned out on when, where, and what trains and buses to take, and prepared to bring bushel upon bushel of second hand tomatoes, blueberries and raspberries back with us.

However, when I double checked the bus schedule I found that the purple line train to the farm in Lincoln, (near Concord) would be closed for construction every Saturday until Nov. 17.  That put a damper on our trip. So as an alternate plan we left at 12:25 for a pick-your-own raspberry farm only 5 miles away which became an hour and a half bus/train/bus ride plus a 20 minute walk.  Then after picking through the organic berries to separate the ones with the invasive Asian fruit fly larvae and those without, we purchased about a quart and a half of good raspberries.  Then after a bee sting and another 30 minute walk back to the road we caught the bus by the grace of God just in time to get us back to the stop for the next farm with 30 minutes to spare and a 25 minute walk, which became a jog because we feared arriving late.  We made it to the second farm to be their last customers for the day, however the prices were so big we only bought several green peppers, an eggplant and some garlic--much less than we had hoped for. 

On the way out Libby and I walked through the closed and locked gate and sat down to eat a bite of lunch at 5:00 pm.  We reflected on the day.  The farm stands at the farm were not any cheaper than the farmer's market as we thought.  In fact they were much more expensive.  Markets would be more accessible in the city as well and have more selection, but still cost slightly more than we would like, but that's because we are paying closer to what it's worth without any government subsidized pricing.  The local food does have value to it being fresher, closer to the farm, and it comes with the face and story of the farmer.  We also realized how important it would be to have a car for this type of thing, but also how much traveling our food has to do to get to us.  Here's a mental activity for you.  Look at the food you had for your last meal and just think how far and how many different places you'd have to go to in order to get all the ingredients for that meal.  Now go gather those ingredients on your own, and take public transit.  That's how complex the system is that we are working with.  If you didn't stop to thank God, or at least the grocery store for getting it to you, then you should.  Hopefully in our work here we can learn more time-efficient ways to get our own food, and better ways of providing this food to those who have even less than we do right now.

Hurry Up and Wait

Touring the sites of Boston at Walden Pond.

On Monday morning we left the conference center at Stony Point, New York on our way up to Boston, MA.  The week of orientation and training there in New York was full of bible study and seminars that gave us very practical tools for understanding culture and economics for the people we would be sharing in ministry with, as well as some advice and stories from veterans in the program.  And the spirit of orientation and preparation in a welcoming community continued along with our journey northward.  Starting at 2:30 am on Monday, our group of about 75 Young Adult Volunteers finished orientation and departed on our separate ways all across the world to begin our different missions.  Since then, Facebook has shown me that some of my fellow YAV's have been hanging out with Joel McHale in Hollywood, some on picturesque beaches in the Phillippines, and some biking it up in Tuscon.  Meanwhile, I've been swimming in Walden Pond and seeing the historical sites of Boston in between sessions on house planning, personality tests, and the policy handbook.

 
This Monday, we arrived in Boston to the welcoming hospitality of our partner Christians in the Boston Presbytery, but couldn't move into our house yet.  The lease on our house starts on September 1 so the four of us were basically homeless for the week, and we were welcomed lovingly into two different houses of some of the church members in Lexington, Massachusetts.  On Saturday night each of us will move again to stay with a family from our respective churches and worship with them Sunday, September 1, and move into our new house on Monday to begin work Tuesday.  The four of us will each be working with a different church in the Boston Presbytery with the goal of reaching out into the community to advocate and work toward making local healthy food more accessible to the poor through various methods.  Please visit the program website to meet my colleagues in this food justice outreach mission, Audrey, Libby, and Kathleen. You can find out more about the program there as well. http://bostonfoodjusticeyavprogram.wordpress.com/2013-boston-yavs/

Furnature donations for the new YAV house provided
 by the Presbytery of Boston and BFJYAV partners.

When we arrived Monday, the door to our house was not open yet, but it gave us the chance to be welcomed by a community who has been expecting our team and our work for the past year.  In fact, due to their support we received an entire garage full of donated furniture to use in our new house--all donated by our partner church members.  This hospitable community of the Church universal was welcoming enough to welcome four homeless wayfaring young adult strangers they'd never met into their houses for a week, providing clean beds, food, showers etc..  I've felt nothing but welcoming and acceptance ever since I started in this community and that has shown itself in the hospitality of these host families.  I hate to go to a different house, but it will be nice to settle into our own space and get the work started (as soon as we get all the furniture across town).

While homeless, we've been planning out our food budget for the first six months with the challenge of eating only local foods.  On top of this, we've spent the week learning our way around the city, and preparing for our intentional community centered on spiritual formation, vocational discernment, simple living and of course food justice.  We've already begun by becoming acquainted with local farmers and growers, and starting to preserve some local fruit for the winter while practicing the art of canning.  The challenge of eating only local food for the first six months will definitely keep us on our toes.

One final note on fundraising: As of the last count on Tuesday, I'm only $75 short of my minimum fundraising goal of $3,000 so I thank you so much for your generous support of this work.  We will continue fundraising as the year continues.  The program will cost significantly more than that amount and as a team we have set a higher goal so please tell your friends about our work up here.

If anyone is still considering a donation please know that monthly donations are another option.  For example if you give $5.00 per month it totals $55.00 for my 11 month term which is the equivalent expense of 3 weeks of my food budget or approximately a 3 week bus pass.  The cool thing is that any amount helps.  So thank you!  Please remember to keep us in your thoughts and prayers.  All donations should be mailed to the following address:

BFJYAV Program c/o Maggie Holmesheoran

Clarendon Hill Presbyterian Church

155 Powder House Blvd.

Somerville, MA 02144

Write checks payable to Presbytery of Boston with Alex Haney -BFJYAV in the memo line (you could put in another one of our names if you wish to support them instead)  I ask you send all prayers to God, Jehova, Yahweh, Allah, the Creator, etc., however you wish to say it. Prayers can go farther than dollars (they go to God).  Thanks again and I will post more details on my specific work as soon as we settle into home and the work begins on Tuesday.

The Transition from the Woods

For the last ten weeks of the summer I've been busy at the absolute best job I've ever had as a counselor at Nature Camp outside the village of Vesuvius, VA.  There I spent the summer with some of the best people I've ever met teaching children all kinds of things such as conservation, making biofuel, and botanical things like how flowers become fruits, that squash and tomatoes are fruits, how strawberries aren't berries and which plants can heal wounds and treat disease.  But I also got to teach the kids some important life skills like how to address an envelope and put the stamp on properly, how to sweep the floor, wipe a table, how to get along and make friends and even how to zip up a sleeping bag.  More importantly, teaching kids the lifelong themes of showing respect and participating in the community are a big parts of camp outside of class, and that stands out to me because those things are very important in how I understand the Community of Christ in which I am a part and becoming a more active part through this next year.  I want to present a few  reflections on this summer at camp in relation to my upcoming year before my mind gets completely filled with the experience in Boston.

There are a lot of traditions at Nature Camp, one is that every night before bed we hold hands in a circle and sing the Lord's prayer, and on the last night the kids are there, during this tradition, we leave a gap in the circle to remember the campers and staff who are no longer with us.  We save them a place in the circle. There is a special image with this gap in the circle, and we also sing a Nature Camp original song called "A Place in the Circle" that recognizes that when we leave, we always know there is that place open for us to come back at any time.  It's important to know that when you leave camp you never really leave because there always is that place for you in the circle.  Once you are part of that community, you are welcomed for life.  This is an important image at camp and the inspiration for several counselors to get a tattoo of a circle with a place left open.  That sense of always being welcomed is key. This camp is not affiliated with any religion, but it is a loving welcoming community as any based in faith.

A very similar image that is a key for our work in the Boston Food Justice YAV program is that there is always a place at the table.  A documentary about the US Food system just came out with that title and addresses some of the issues we hope to tackle in Boston. Seeing that open place in the circle from camp and that community of acceptance and welcoming is exactly what we will be experiencing and sharing with the community in Boston.  And I'm so excited to take that with me from camp.  No matter how rough a life we've been through, or the people we will meet have been through Jesus invites us all to the table with him. 

At the beginning of the summer, a more experienced staff member Adam explained to me that a large tradition in the community of male staff and the boys bunkhouse is acceptance.  No matter how ugly, dumb, annoying, or different you are from other people you are welcome here on the male staff and in that bunkhouse at camp.  And the same goes for the boy campers (I assume this is true for the girls cabins as well).  We get some wacky kids that come to camp.  The kids and the staff are a rainbow of personalities and crazies.  They accepted me on staff.  Adam referred to some terrible male counselors of the past, but they were all a part of male staff and that bond holds them together and there is always a place for them at this camp where they are welcomed and accepted into community.  All summer I thought how this is a perfect living example of the Kingdom of Heaven (or at least how it should be) where all are welcomed at the Table with Christ. Jesus says come onto me all you who are weary and heavy laden.  Jesus reaches out to the downtrodden, the prostitutes, the leapors, the blind, as well as the tax collectors, the church goers and the scholars--The wonderful and the awful counselors, campers, jews, gentiles, you name it... The overarching theme of welcoming and acceptance into the boy's bunkhouse is just what Jesus wants for his Kingdom (as strange as that sounds), and that is another great thing I get to experience in Boston that's like camp.  We will be breaking bread with people from all walks of life that we've never known, but it will be just like summer camp in that all will be welcomed, and anyone and everyone will have a place in our circle and our table at the BFJYAV program. I also pray for and anticipate the same welcome as I move into and immerse myself into that new culture and community.

As I reflect on my place in the circles I leave behind at home they are not forgotten but brought along with me in the ways that they have shaped my life and character. I leave to start working and teaching within a group that continues to welcome people into an even larger circle and to the table that we all share as God's children.